Escaflowne: Gaea's Secret
by Breakdown
Summary: Something is troubling escaflowne and van can feel it. Van and hitomit reunite on Earth. Will they even remember each other? Will they go on another great adventure? R&R plz
1. Prolouge

Disclaimer:I don't own Escaflowne. Alright bye.  
  
This is my first fanfic.. ummm ya tell me what ya thenk  
  
Chapter 1: Prologue ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Several years after Van and Hitomi's goodbye..  
  
  
  
Gaea had been experiencing a rare peace for almost 4 years after Hitomi left. Fanelia was rebuilt as one of the most beautiful cities Gaea had ever seen. During the rebuilding process, Fanelia had become very technically advanced and incorporated many new inventions to the city, but kept its old fashioned and elegant look. Over the years, Fanelia prospered greatly with the new talented and still very young king running everything. Despite the citizens' happiness, Van had been suffering silently. He felt as if a part of him was gone and gone forever. He did not brood over the fact that Hitomi had left Gaea, but she abruptly cut contact off with him a few months ago. He did not know why and it was hurting him. He missed her. Despite that, Van also had other worries in his mind. He was to find a queen for Fanelia by the end of the year so he could continue the Fanelian bloodline. It wasn't hard for him because girls thought he was ugly. In fact, he was thought of as one of the most desired men in all of Gaea. He had changed over the four years. He now stood several inches over six feet and his figure became more masculine and his skin darkened. He still possessed the dark brown eyes that always made it look as if he were lost in a deep concentration and also the black hair that covered them, except that it was slightly shorter and his bangs were much skinnier that they used to be so you could see more of his handsome face. But it was still just as messy and wild though. The connection he still had with Hitomi was preventing him for falling for any other women, and there had been a few. Also, something was happening on Gaea that was making Escaflowne uneasy. Van's physical bond to Escaflowne had been broken but the mental bond still remained, and Van could feel Escaflowne's uneasiness. Was it an omen? Whatever it was, Van could always feel it in the back of his mind.  
  
Van was in counsel meeting with his generals and many of his advisors. The people around him were having a discussion about a new material that they had discovered, but Van was not paying any attention. He was thinking about Hitomi.. and Escaflowne. Now that he thought about it, Escaflowne had started feeling that way right when Hitomi had cut off contact. Was there a connection?  
  
"Sir? Are you listening?" This brought Van out of his contemplation with a sudden jerk. "Oh. I am so sorry. What was it that you were saying?" Van asked as he gave the questioner a small smile. She was his single female general, Eden. She was a beautiful woman in her early twenties with bright red wavy hair just past her shoulders and bright golden eyes that shone like the sun. Although her appearance contradicted it, she was one of the best fighters in Fanelia's army. She was courageous and bold in her actions, yet shy just like Van. A small red hue became visible on her petite face as she said "As I was saying Lord Van. What do you think of our new proposal?"  
  
"I think its great" replied Van to entranced with her to realize what she was even talking about. Edene noticed his stare and her face became a color that could match her unique hair. "Moving on Lord Van" started another man with a heavy look on his face. "Can we perhaps talk about the Escaflowne?"  
  
"What about it?" Van inquired. "Well. perhaps about what is causing its uneasiness Lord Van?" continued the other man. "No thank you, Voris. I don't really want to talk about it" Van answered while the expression on his face became noticeably gloomier. The Escaflowne just reminded him of the greatest time he had ever had with the greatest girl he had ever met. "That is fine my lord. Then I guess this meeting is adjourned."  
  
"Hey" someone said to Van with a friendly tone as he exited the room. Van already knew who it was.  
  
"Hey" he copied.  
  
"How was it?" the other man asked.  
  
"Same old, same old" Van responded with a heavy sigh as he turned towards one of his very good friends. He had barely changed over the years. Same dashing face. Same stupid little costume (at least Van thought so) with those same little puffs on his shoulder. Same over confident attitude. And most of all, the same girly hair that moved freely around his back.  
  
"What's wrong little man?" Allen Asked playfully.  
  
"Nothing really Allen. and you really can't call me little man anymore" Van stated as he returned the smile. He was right. Van stood at eye level with Allen now but had at least twenty pounds on him.  
  
"Oh is that so? What happened to that little boy I knew that was always quick to make such a fool of himself?" Allen asked.  
  
"He grew up-"  
  
"-and got married?" Allen finished Van's sentence with a question. Van gave him a mean glare and replied "what's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"You know what I mean, Van. Who's going to be the lucky girl?" Allen asked sincerely. "I'm not sure" Van answered barley above a whisper as he turned his head towards the ground. "What about Eden? It's so obvious she's in love with you, and I may say she is quite the woman. I mean just by looking at her I-"  
  
"-shut the hell up Allen!" van yelled back at Allen. "So sorry your highness" Allen said very sarcastically. They had reached Van's room. They said their goodbyes as Van entered his room and closed the door behind him. 


	2. Reminiscing

Do u need a disclaimer for every chapter??? It sux if ya do. anyways enjoy the story!  
  
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Van lay on his bed slowly letting sleep overtake him as he thought about the past years. Fanelia was doing better than anyone had ever expected, his people adored him, and all of Gaea respected him. Yet, he wasn't happy. He felt. dead. 'Could it be because of Hitomi?' Van thought. 'Or maybe the cause of his depression was Escaflowne. What exactly was going on?' He continued to reflect the events that took place following her departure. Merle had left. He did not know why though. All she had told him was "I want to find a reason" with tears in her eyes. 'What the hell was that supposed to mean? One day she has a deathgrip around his neck and the next she leaves on a philosophical note.' Thinking about Merle triggered his nostalgic memories. He smiled as he reminisced... 'Hitom.. Folken.. Allen.. Millernia.. Dryden.. Dornkirk.. guymelefs.. fighting.. war.. blood.. death.. Escafowne..' that was the last thing that went through his mind as he fell asleep.  
  
Darkness.. Everything was dark. Van was suspended in the sinister void. He could follow the everlasting black to the edges of Gaea. 'Where am I?' Van thought. 'It can't be a dream. A vision then? But I thought only Hitomi had these. Wait. I can hear something.' The sound became clearer. Profound "ba- booms" struck the emptiness with such a force that tickled Van to his very soul. 'It's a heartbeat.' Each thump shook the space around him violently. 'Why a heartbeat? What does this have to do with anything?' With every beat he shuddered. 'Have I finally gone crazy?' Then slowly, a slit of light slowly made its way across what he believed to be in front of him. 'Now what? This almost reminds me of a guymelef.. it couldn't be.. can it? Escaflowne.. What are you trying to tell me?' Slowly, the slit of light erupted around him blinding him with a brilliant flash. 'I'm.. scared. What's going on? Somebody help me.. please..'  
  
"Lord Van! Lord Van please wake up!" "Sir, you mustn't leave us!" "C'mon Van! Pull through! You can do it little man!"  
  
Van was still lying lifeless. He looked almost peaceful. He had been breathing erratically earlier and crying out in his sleep. Just minutes ago he had lost a pulse.  
  
A shadow of a figure gradually began to form directly in the light that now engulfed him. As it became visible Van realized who it was. 'Hitomi. What are you doing here Hitomi?' Van was overjoyed to see her again. He tried to cry out to her but the attempts were in vain. Instead, she began to speak. "Are you prepared Van Fanel? Prepared to learn the truth?" Van could do nothing but stare. 'Hitomi..' he cried out in his mind as everything just seemed to fade away.  
  
"Van!!! Oh Van, I thought you had died!! Eden shrieked with relief as she rushed at the king and wrapped her arms around his body. He had just woken up as his pulse and breathing returned to him. Van had a stunned look on his face. He had no idea what was going on. 'Oh, yes. The vision. I remember now. Hitomi.'  
  
The general immediately removed her arms from Van and quickly turned around when she realized what she had just done. Her face was once again the color of her hair. Van simply smiled and looked over the crowd that had formed around his oversized bed. "I'm glad to..to..to see..y..y.." Van could not finish his sentence for he had just lost consciousness once again  
  
Van awoke again but this time only with himself to keep him company. He painfully got up as his head throbbed begging him to lie down. He ignored it. He had only one thing in his mind; Escaflowne. He dressed into his usual attire which consisted of his red tank top and khaki like pants along with his gloves and boots.  
  
Van exited his room to find the beautiful general Eden seated on a chair next to his door. "Sir Van!" she cried. "Eden. What a surprise. What are you doing here?" Van asked already knowing the answer.  
  
"Well.. um.. I was watching over you sir" Eden said weakly.  
  
"Thank you very much Eden. I really appreciate it" Van replied softly.  
  
Eden's face once again became flushed as she said "sir, maybe you.. um, should be resting." She sounded very hesitant.  
  
"Its okay Eden. I'm fine, really. I just have something very important to do."  
  
"What's that, sir?."  
  
"Eden.. I'm not sure if I can really tell you. You might think I'm crazy. And please, call me Van in these situations."  
  
Eden was grateful that the hallway was dark for her face was a bright red. She meekly replied "I would never think of you as crazy si.. Van. Please, you can tell me."  
  
Van studied her face. She looked as if she were trying to say something different than what she had just said. He was confused. He had never understood women very well at all and took his appearance for granted. "Well, alright. Follow me" he told her as he began to walk.  
  
Eden could not believe what had just happened. Had he just asked her to keep him company? She kept pace behind him and stared at his back. She observed his build, and his graceful stride. She loved everything about him. Before, she could care less about men and the feeling known as love. Her father had cheated on her mother driving her mad. She used to believe love was more trouble than it was worth. That was until she had met Van. It happened almost four years.  
  
*Flashback*  
  
Eden Lufia was just an average 18 year old girl. Well, except the fact that she was absolutely gorgeous with a body that 99% of women could not even dream of. Oh yeah, and also the fact that her fighting skills were almost unmatched in Gaea.  
  
She walked into the city called Fanelia taking in the sights around her. Her vivid red hair stood out as she walked along the crowd. Her dazzling golden eyes radiated, entrancing the men who could do nothing but stare. They couldn't even whistle. She had to admit, the city was turning out to be quite stunning. The king of this area must be quite a man, she thought to herself but quickly shut them our once she realized what she was thinking. She was here to test her skills in a tournament and perhaps even win some money. She walked down some more roads turning here and there realizing that she was being followed. Several men surrounded her as she could do nothing but smirk. What appeared to be the leader of the group stepped forward.  
  
"What's a woman like you doing walking unescorted on these dangerous streets?" the man asked smugly. "You know, you could have guys like us show you a good time."  
  
Eden just smiled and replied "pigs.. you stupid scum.. your picking on the wrong lady boys."  
  
The leader approached her and started to move his finger around her mouth. "Aww, c'mon. You can't really mean that, can you?" he asked as he strutted around her. Eden quickly bit his finger making blood drip down.  
  
"YOU LITTLE BITCH!!! We were going to have some fun with you but now it looks like we're going to have to rape you right now!!!" the man roared as he drew his sword, but just as quickly as he drew it, it was out of his hands. The man was terrified. Eden quickly cut him down with one expert slash. All the other men charged her. There had to be at least 15 of them. Despite her skills, she was overwhelmed. 'Is this the end?' She thought as she her sword flew from her grasp and she was kicked to the ground. She closed her eyes flinching, expecting something to happen, but nothing did. Everything was quiet. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up. All the men were dead or unconscious. 'What happened?' Then she saw someone darting around a corner. "Wait!" she yelled out. She only caught a glimpse though. He had possessed wild untamed black hair, and a red top. Her savior.  
  
The tournament was one on one. Eden was doing very well; she had made it into the final. She was fighting under a fake identity and with a cloak on. She was scared something might happen to her again if she was seen. She hated her beauty. Despised it. It was something she could live without. It only seemed to cause her trouble.  
  
Her opponent was also a cloaked fighter. 'He must have his reasons' she thought. 'Probably because he's so ugly.' He or she was obviously very skilled but had been holding back just as she was. They circled each other and bowed waiting for a horn to sound. It did. The match began with the other fighter attacking first. She caught a glance of her opponent's face. It was a he and also appeared to be very young. His attack was blocked by her curved sword. She parried and swung back which he blocked. The two continued and a heated battle pursued. After many minutes, they both began to tire. No actual sword blows had landed but some punches and kicks had connected. She swung vertically from the top after he had just missed with a kick. He rolled sideways and then backwards, obviously tired. She was also tired but this was her chance she thought. She charged him preparing a final blow. As she started, so did he. The two swords met in front of them creating impressive sparks that flew all about. A strong draft erupted from the clash of swords blowing both of their cloaks off.. 


	3. Moonlight Confession

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Chapter 3  
  
The king and the general had exited the Fanelian Palace. The damp air of the cool dark night helped Eden to relax around Van. Van turned around and gave her an easing smile. She smiled back. She thought back to the time when she first laid eyes on his face. At that moment, two clashed swords constricted her view, but it was still the most magnificent spectacle she had ever seen. She remembered how her breathing stopped. How her body refused to budge as she stared through his brown eyes. From then on, the feeling crept its way into her whenever she was in Van's presence. He was the only man in her eyes.  
  
Van had entered the town area of Fanelia with Eden keeping his pace behind him. She was making him uncomfortable and he didn't know why. Lately, he always felt this way around her. 'Why?' he wondered. When he first asked her to be a general he only saw her as a comrade in arms.. a very pretty one.. but lately he had been seeing her as more of a woman. He recalled what Allen had said the day before; "It's so obvious she's in love with you.." The thought only increased his uncomfortable feeling causing him to stumbled as his legs stiffened.  
  
"Sir! Are you alright?" Eden cried out as she grabbed Van helping him up. "You should have stayed in bed sir." She assisted him to a nearby bench in a large open part of town.  
  
"Thank you Eden. I'm alright" Van replied slightly embarrassed and blushing. He looked at her face that was only a few inches away from his. The moon hung above them turning her golden eyes to a silver tone. They were staring at him pleadingly. 'I think.. I think I'm in love with her' Van thought to himself. 'But what about Hitomi?  
  
Eden realized how close she was to Van on the bench and swiftly drew her grasp from around him as a red glow resonated from her face. "Im.. so sorry sir" she whispered softly. She could feel his tenseness around her. 'Could he feel the same way about me?' she thought. 'That would be a dream come true. Him and me..'  
  
"Eden? Eden?" Van broke her train of thought. "Is something wrong?" Van asked. "It looked as if your were sleeping. You looked.. happy."  
  
"So sorry sir.. its nothing" she responded giving him a warm grin. She looked up at him. He looked so attractive in the moonlight with his hair flowing in the evening breeze. She had to tell him now. It would be her only chance.  
  
"What's with all the apologizing lately? And please; it's Van. Not sir" Van said in a comforting tone. "Well we should get going. We can't spend too much time here, although I must admit it is quite peaceful" Van said as he started to get up.  
  
'No don't go!' Eden thought. She wanted to stay with Van there forever. She wanted time to stop. 'This is it. I'm going to do it!'  
  
"Wait sir!" Eden cried out suddenly. She had clearly surprised him.  
  
"Yes, Eden?"  
  
His voice just made her more nervous. It echoed from her ears throughout her entire body. "Um.. I.. I wanted to tell you something.. Van"  
  
Van sat back down. "What is it?"  
  
Eden brought her gaze up from the ground to his eyes. She was blushing madly. "I.. I.. I LOVE YOU SIR!" she suddenly blurted out.  
  
=============================================================== Short wasn't it? Trust me, the story gets very interesting. Please review! 


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